


It's Now Or Never

by LelianasSong



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Post - Trespasser
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-21 07:25:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4820477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LelianasSong/pseuds/LelianasSong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After spending most of the week trying to avoid Josephine, Elena Trevelyan finds that her actions have consequences. Perhaps it is time to stop running and to face the truth of what she wants. After all, it's now or never.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Now Or Never

**Author's Note:**

> Trespasser Spoilers, epilogue references, yadda yadda, if you don't want any spoilers and still haven't spoiled yourself already then please do not read.
> 
> Basically, I would tell you what this fic entails but I kind of want it to be a surprise I guess? Maybe it's not that much of a surprise but oh well! I hope you enjoy it nonetheless~

Elena ran, laughing as she dodged her way through the streets of Antiva City, twisting and turning herself past obstacles in her path. It was deceptively hard, as she maintained the balance on her crossbow, eager to not slam it into a passing wall.

"Hurry up, yeah?!" Sera laughed, coming out of an alleyway to the side of her as they raced off together. "Pricks'll catch up to us soon!"

The mage simply huffed, picking up the pace as much as she could. It was not long until both women found themselves on the edge of their destination, laughing and wheezing as they doubled over, leaning against the walls of the Montilyet Estate. For a few moments, they merely caught their breath, eyes scanning around for the possibility that anyone had managed to follow them.

Finally, as Elena straightened, she pushed the black hood back from her face, shaking her blonde hair out until it hung over her shoulder. It was longer now, the woman contemplated as she touched the ends curiously. She could not decide if she wished for it to return to this, a funny thought considering the fact she had been so upset the first time she had had to cut it.

"Don't even think they chased us much! Ugh! These clothes don't fit right!" Sera complained, pulling at her tunic and leggings as she scrunched up her face.

"Maybe you should not have eaten all of that food at breakfast, Sera!" Elena laughed, patting her friend on the back.

"Piss off, will you?!" The elf said, pushing Elena playfully as the woman laughed. "That food was great, right? I couldn't just _stop_!"

Smirking, Elena delved into her bag and picked out the spoils of what their friends had left them for humiliating the man who had been trampling upon his servants for far too long. She pulled out the item she had been searching for and presented it to her friend.

"Voila! The solution to your problem."

Sera scowled and snatched the item off of her, holding it out until the fabric fell out of a ball and into its desired shape. The look on the elf's face as she stared at the large nightgown that seemed to lack any fitting or shape was priceless. Her lips curled up, as if caught between a snarl and a laugh as she stared at the garment in horror.

"Not bloody likely!" Sera scoffed, slamming the clothing into Elena's chest. "You're such a shit! How don't people see that? 'Oh former Inquisitor Trevelyan is cold and sensible!' No! You're a shit!"

"Only with friends, Sera... only with friends."

The mage placed a hand on Sera's shoulder, pulling her in for an unexpected hug. The woman stiffened for a moment, before wrapping an arm around Elena's waist and returning the attention. It felt comforting, to feel the support that such an action gave her. In truth, it was difficult sometimes, knowing that her future actions could save the state of this world, or fail to stop the action that would leave so many in ruin. These moment, however, made that possibility seem better. She was happy now, after all.

"Alright, alright, let's cut the mushy stuff before I cry," Sera said, giving Elena one final squeeze before they both let go. "Speaking of... you know when you're gonna do it yet?"

"No."

"Well maybe you should figure it out then?"

"Look, Sera, I..."

"Elena Melisandre Trevelyan! Where have you _been_?!"

Both women turned around at the sound of the voice. Elena bit her lip, smiling sheepishly as Josephine finally reached them, trying to hide the crossbow that was attached to what remained of her left arm beneath the billows of her cloak. The other Jenny seemed completely unperturbed, instead grinning at the Antivan, who was simply glaring at Elena.

"Hello darling, I'm home!" Elena said, leaning down and kissing Josephine softly. The woman sighed gently into the kiss, although Elena knew that it was likely that she would receive some form of admonishment from her lover.

"How's it, Josie?" Sera added, quickly snatching the nightgown from Elena's hand and stuffing it into her own pack.

"Well, I recall having planned some alone time with my love, only to find her nowhere to be seen. Again. This is the... seventh time this week, is it not? I wonder what has kept you this time," Josephine said curtly, smiling so deceptively sweetly that had her eyes not given away her anger and sadness, one might believe that nothing was wrong.

"Yeah, my bad, Josie," Sera said, nudging Elena. "Said I needed her help and didn't think it would take long. Sorry!"

"Still, this is the seventh time," Josephine sighed, rubbing her wrist as if it ached from the copious amount of writing she had no doubt done today.

"I am so sorry, Josephine," Elena responded, bowing her head in shame.

"Yes, well... Sera, Dagna sent a letter and I placed it on the guest bed for you. I know how eager you must be to set off and see her again."

"Widdle, wrote?! Yes! Later, yeah?!" Sera scurried off inside of the estate, eager it seemed to return to her Widdle after her stay with the Montilyets and Elena. Or perhaps it was simply to avoid the awkward confrontation between the two lovers, maybe it was simply both.

Her departure left the two lovers alone in a silence that seemed to stretch uncomfortably. Elena tightened her jaw, her left arm still concealed behind her back as she watched Josephine continue to fiddle with the fabric at her wrists. There was no way of faulting Josephine for what was happening, none at all. It was her, all her. A seed of anxiety seemed to sprout and spread through the pit of the mage's stomach, as she waited for Josephine to say something. Anything. For there was no way that she could begin to find the words, they all seemed so dreadfully insufficient.

Finally, Josephine sighed, looking up at Elena with an almost defeated expression. "Father wished to know if you would be leaving with Sera, or if you would stay. I confessed that even I do not know the answer to that. So, would you care to answer it now?"

"Of course I'm not leaving with her! I... we have not nearly had enough time together," Elena said, lifting her left arm automatically as she did so.

Josephine's eyes latched onto the crossbow, her eyebrows arching in accusation as Elena sheepishly lowered her arm again. The Antivan sighed heavily, turning around and making her way back to the door.

"Oh Maker! Josephine, wait! Please! I can... I can explain!"

"Explain what, Elena? That you have been running across the rooftops in Antiva City, perhaps gaining the ire of nobles and Crows all because you insist upon carrying on this Jenny business?" Josephine snapped, whirling round angrily, her hands clenched into fists.

"I've been staying out of the way of the Crows!"

"For now! But how long until... Elena, why must you constantly put yourself into danger?!"

"Since I foolishly went running to investigate a commotion and ended up with a mark that eventually made me lose my fucking hand! No one was upset when I was saving the world! No one questioned why! Maybe I just cannot stop? Maybe I do not want to merely wait and grasp at scraps of information that are so few and far between! Maybe I just need to stop thinking!" Elena hissed, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You do not just risk yourself, Elena! You do so at the expense of making time for me! I have barely seen you and we sleep in the same bed! You have barely touched me or made love to me and we both know that is a rarity for you! It has been a few weeks and I feel as though I miss you more when you are here than when you are far away! Do you... do not toy with my feelings, Elena. I simply cannot take much more of this!"

For a moment, all Elena could do was blink at the tirade that met her. She saw the way Josephine's lip trembled slightly, taken aback by the force at which she suddenly stamped her foot, her fists balling up even tighter. She had not seen her this angry since she had interrupted the duel with Lord Otranto, except perhaps this was worse. There was no romantic gesture here after all, just anger at the way Elena had been acting. She had no explanation to give for it. The answer would sound ridiculous and Elena did not want to have to deal with witnessing Josephine's reaction to it.

"Do you want me to go, Josephine?" Elena asked, her voice cracking despite herself. She straightened her back, trying to hold onto the composure that came so easily when she spoke to anyone else, yet crumbled in Josie's presence.

"I..." Josephine surveyed Elena, her lips twisting and her eyes brimming with tears. "Perhaps you need some on your own, my lady."

"But do you want me to go?"

"Oh Elena, of course not! Don't be so preposterous!"

"You... want me to stay? Why?"

"I am no stranger to your moods, Elena. I know them as surely as I know my own... you will talk to me about it eventually. That is what you always do and when you are ready, I will be there to listen."

"I... I love you, Josephine," Elena whispered, feeling her eyes beginning to brim with infernal tears.

"Oh, my darling," Josephine sighed softly, wrapping her arms around Elena's waist and holding her tightly. "I love you too."

They stayed in the embrace for a time, Elena clutching onto her lover as if the world depended on it. She was scared, she knew that. Terrified of the future and terrified of making one simple mistake. Of plans she had set into motion and had thus far been too scared to voice out loud. It was ridiculous, really! She knew what she wanted, knew what could make her happy and yet this... all of this running and fighting to take her mind off of it, what had it actually achieved?

"Josephine...?" Elena murmured, biting her lip cautiously.

"Hmm?" She hummed. "Are you alright, my love?"

"I... will you... I mean I could stay until after... we could... that is to say that..."

"What's wrong?"

"Josephine, could you... say yes?"

"Yes, to what?"

"Oh Maker! Why is this so difficult?"

Elena broke away from the embrace. She stood before her lover, her hand clutching the base of her prosthetic as she tried to settle herself. It was now, or never. Well, perhaps less dire than that, but really, when the idea had been planted in her mind during the year after Corypheus had been defeated, it seemed like the only option was to seize that moment.

“Josephine, we have been together for three, almost four years, yes? We both know that I have never felt this way about anyone else, with as much choice and freedom as I have. That I will likely never find anyone who could ever come within even a league of comparing to you. I… have been a fool. But that is because I am scared. This, what we have, has scared me and confused me for so long and I always find myself messing things up. But I… I love you, with all of my heart, Josephine and I… want to spend whatever is left of this life, with you. Whether that’s literally or whether it’s a promise to always return to each other’s sides… well, I want that.”

Josephine stood silently, her mouth and eyes wide open in shock as she tried to discern whether Elena was going where the Antivan seemed to guess that she was going with her rambled speech.

“Josephine Cherette Montilyet, will you…” Elena took a deep breath, stepping forward and cupping Josie’s cheek softly with her right hand. “Will you give me the honour of marrying me?”

The response was almost instantaneous, as Josephine launched herself into Elena’s arms, wrapping her hands around her lover’s neck as she pulled her in for a kiss. It was light and joyous, as Josephine smiled into it. There was no denying the love that flowed from that kiss, the tender way that Josephine captured her lips or the gentle caresses on the back of Elena’s neck.

Finally, she broke away, tears streaming down her face as she gazed up into Elena’s eyes.

“Is that why you were so distant? You were…?”

“Yes… I’m completely hopeless, I know,” Elena chuckled, lifting her arm so that the crossbow wouldn’t dig into Josephine. “So? Is that a yes?”

“Yes, it is, my love! Of course, I will marry you! Oh… goodness! We are going to have so much to organise! The venue, the caterer, the florist… oh and not to mention the guest list and a musician! I beg of you, not Zither… nor Maryden, we should have a band!”

Elena chuckled, kissing Josephine softly on the forehead. “I was hoping that we could have a small event? With close family and friends… I want this to be special, Josephine.”

“Yes, but…”

“How about we plan an engagement party? You can invite all the nobles and dignitaries you wish and we can leave nothing to expense… but on the day, promise me, it will just be us and those we care for? Please?”

“Very well,” Josephine smiled, kissing Elena’s lips once more. “I must admit, it would be rather romantic if we had a quiet wedding. We could dance beneath the moonlight, watch the boats come and go from the harbour…”

“We could sneak away halfway through so I can really admire your dress in more private settings?”

“Elena!”

The mage chuckled, shaking her head affectionately. “I’m kidding, Josie. Mostly… we’ll see where the night take us?”

Josephine giggled, kissing Elena again and again, leaving pecks from her lips and over her cheeks. They both stood there, lost in the happiness of the moment, paying no heed to the sun that was beginning to set over the hills. Suddenly, the door of the estate opened and both Elena and Josephine turned to the commotion, watching as Yvette stood there, her eyes lit up in excitement and her lips pulled up into a smile.

“She asked? She finally asked? Please say that you asked her!” Yvette giggled.

“Perhaps we should make the announcement at dinner?” Josephine whispered, leaning their foreheads together.

“Unless Yvette manages to tell everyone first,” Elena chuckled, shaking her head as the younger Montilyet disappeared back inside.

“Good point, let’s go, my love.”

Elena felt her chest lighten as Josephine grabbed her hand, grasping it tightly as the walked back towards the estate and towards the announcement that awaited them. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from her, as if all of those weeks, months… Maker, even years, of deliberating, it was finally going to happen. She was finally going to bring more joy into her life, Maker knows that they were going to need every ounce of it that they could get.

 


End file.
